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Alameda County details $557M plan for Santa Rita jail upgrades to meet consent‑decree requirements
Summary
GSA and sheriff’s staff briefed supervisors on a multi‑year capital plan that includes ADA upgrades, security network replacements, outdoor recreation yards, on‑unit treatment conversions, major maintenance (generators, water systems, roofs) and a kitchen renovation; staff said the projects are sequenced to maintain safety during construction.
County facilities staff and the Sheriff’s Office provided an update on extensive capital work at Santa Rita jail needed to comply with court oversight and to address decades of deferred maintenance. GSA director Kimberly Gassway said the county’s five‑year capital plan allocates about $557 million for the facility to cover ADA/accessibility work, security‑network upgrades (cameras and monitoring), outdoor recreation yards to expand out‑of‑cell time, treatment pod conversions for on‑unit clinical space, and critical infrastructure replacements (generators, water tank and mains, HVAC and roofs).
Staff emphasized that many projects are driven by court‑mandated standards from a consent decree (Babu settlement) and require careful sequencing. Work crews must move incarcerated people from one housing unit to another during construction and sheriff deputies provide escorts for contractors. Gassway said some bid packages were modified after hazardous‑materials (lead paint) and cost issues were discovered, and staff are re‑bidding to control costs.
Timing and next steps: Individual design‑build contracts are already underway for multiple projects (security network, kitchen renovation, critical operations). Staff said furniture delivery and certain finish items have experienced supply delays; the county expects key elements such as outdoor recreation yard occupancy by January 2026 and security/network completion phases in 2026–2027 depending on the project. The board asked staff to provide concise background materials with future board items to help the public follow large, multi‑phase projects.
